ABILITIES Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

abilities

noun

plural of ability

as in capabilities

the physical or mental power to do something as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abilities Combat emphasizes deliberate blade-on-blade action, parries, and Oni abilities, distinguishing it from Soulslikes. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026 Responding to three years of airspace violations, Spinu suggested, has allowed Romanian and allied pilots and commanders to study Russian munitions, flight patterns and capabilities -- plus their own abilities in engaging such threats. — David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026 This can affect foreign nationals’ abilities to bank, use credit cards, or even pay bills. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026 In the past, Cofnas has expressed doubts about the intellectual abilities of Blacks in comparison to whites. — Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 As his abilities give him access to increasingly sophisticated criminal schemes and extraordinary wealth, he is drawn into a world of luxury, excess and organized cybercrime. — Ed Meza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 Salah actually created a chance from that one but that said more about his abilities than Onana’s decision-making. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Their quest is complicated by Hampton Squib, an inexperienced and wildly underprepared adventurer whose dream of heroism far exceeds his abilities. — Denise Petski, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026 The shoe’s full-length visible Max Air was among Nike’s top cushioning setups of the era and the roster of players who wore the model are a testament to its performance abilities. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities

Noun

Responding to three years of airspace violations, Spinu suggested, has allowed Romanian and allied pilots and commanders to study Russian munitions, flight patterns and capabilities -- plus their own abilities in engaging such threats.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026
Low-speed vehicles are a step above a golf cart but fall short of the capabilities of conventional passenger cars.

— Beth Livesay, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of capabilities

Noun

The compute eSSD has TLC NAND flash for higher endurance with capacities up to 32TB while the storage eSSD uses QLC NAND flash with capacities up to 256TB.

— Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Now, developers plan to double both its solar and storage capacities by November 2026.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of capacities

Noun

The film realistically portrays their struggles to produce resources, emphasizing practical skills, patience, and learning over traditional survivalism.

— Solitaire Townsend, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
DeVito has a nice scramble DeVito showed off his running skills in the second quarter, breaking free for a 36-yard scramble to get the Patriots into Eagles territory for the first time.

— CBS News, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of skills

Noun

The Sacramento Bee staff includes several people who’ve brought their journalistic talents to California’s capital.

— Kiara Adams, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026
The chances of all four talents starting together are increasing, however, in what will be a special moment for Barcelona and La Masia.

— Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of talents

Noun

British universities have been working to hire more academics from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds so that their faculties better reflect the broader society.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
By continually altering reality, a government can disable the faculties of judgment and action on which political freedom depends.

— David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of faculties

Noun

For this class, the premise is that your purpose in life lies to the intersection of your values, your aptitudes and your interests.

— Dana Taylor, USA Today, 6 May 2026
This model reflects Japan’s long-standing corporate culture, which prioritizes new hires for their general potential—their aptitudes and aspirations, as opposed to their current skill sets or university majors—and then trains them on the job.

— GRACIA LIU-FARRER, Foreign Affairs, 18 Nov. 2025

Definition of aptitudes

Noun

Experts advocate for a radical redesign, urging boards to prioritize genuine governance competencies and continuous impact measurement, moving away from outdated models that hinder vital community services.

— Aparna Rae, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Do the activities encourage time spent interacting with others online, which can help young people develop important skills and competencies?

— Gabriel E. Hales, The Conversation, 17 July 2026

Definition of competencies

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“Abilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abilities. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of abilities

noun

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